Organizational Leadership: The Journey

Organizational Leadership: The Journey Before I started writing this paper I put a lot of thought into leadership and what it really meant. I took this graduate level class for personal and professional development. Over the weeks I feel that the premise of this course was that leaders could be developed. A common belief that is perceived by many is that leaders are born and not made. As I have grown in my career it is becoming more obvious that effectiveness as a leader depends less on some naturally born trait and much more on developing learned principles that we can follow. Leadership is a term that has multiple meanings. What is implied in defining leadership is that it is a never ending journey for anyone who wants to motivate and inspire people. Leadership is defined as: the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals. (Robbins and Judge, 2009). Leadership is often considered the most important factor in determining organizational success due to the importance of guiding employees towards a common organizational goal. Despite the development of several theories and models the acceptance of one single theory that totally clarifies the implementation and performance of effective leadership has not been universally adopted. We should consider leadership theories and individually evaluate the contributing factors of each to effective leadership within our organization and environment. Early leadership theories were developed under the contingency model which considers how situational factors alter the effectiveness of particular leaderà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s behavior and style of leadership. The most recognized theory is Fiedlers contingency theory. This theory contrasts situational influence and leader traits / effectiveness through a scale known as the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale (LPC). After the development of contingency theory we learned from Robbins Judge of a more modern theory of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is concerned with processes that change and transform individuals and organizations. The shared process between leaders and followers is determined by the leaders ability to produce emotional intelligence and stimulate the higher collection of employee needs. It is through this ability that leaders acquire trust, admiration, loyalty and respect from their followers, therefore motivating them to accomplish more than what is expected. The fundamental nature of transformational leadership is empowering followers and developing them to reach their full potential. Transformational and transactional leadership tends to co-exist rather than be mutually exclusive. The best leaders combine both to produce performance in an organization to the next level. Some personality traits lead people naturally into leadership roles; this is considered the trait theory. A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is referred to the great event theory. People can choose to become leaders by learning leadership skills and promoting a higher visionary perspective with transformational leadership. Leadership Interviews Leader Interview #1 (A): John Adams, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Systems Design Peer Interview #2 (B): Samantha Cobb, Call Center Manager Question 1: What is your definition of leadership? A. I believe leadership is defined by a vision. I feel leadership and management are different. A leader needs to introduce the organizations values and to promote a long term vision. Their values should be focused towards the employees with a goal to lead by setting an example. B. A strong leader should be seen as someone people see as available, approachable, and fosters trust. They must support their employees and providing direction. Question 2: What is your viewpoint on leadership? A. Leadership is made up of several core values. These include having a vision for your team, the desire to learn and grow, being accessible and unbiased are important keys to effectively transform an organization. There are many variables to my perspective on leadership, however there are certain leadership principles and qualities that are very important and primarily where I focus. B. My viewpoint is that leadership is collaborative, we must all work together to achieve the shared goals of the company. I also want to contribute to each employeeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s learning process and successes. A leader must inspire their team. Question 3: What is your leadership style? A. My style is to take the goals and objectives of the business and align my team to work together to meet those targets. I define the vision. I do not follow a rigid style or framework. There needs to be flexibility within the group to change and adapt as needed. My style flows down to how we incorporate our delivery of services and interact with clients. B. I see myself as more of an informal leader. I do not seek to control my employees and I purposely step back to allow people to do their job and learn. I believe in giving my employees or team members as many opportunities as possible. I am extremely good at delegating tasks and encourage independence. I have found people work better when they are given freedom. I am adamant about employees being open and honest. If there has been a mistake, let it be known. I feel my employees are comfortable in approaching me as needed. Question 4: What are the strengths of your leadership style? A. Because my style is flexible, people tend to feel comfortable coming to me. I do my best to be personable while still maintaining a professional standpoint within the organization. I believe that my employees and team members work with me in a collaborative mission. B. In my experience, people do not want to be controlled. They fail under constant scrutiny and pressure. Too much control fosters a negative atmosphere. My casual leadership style has always been successful. Question 5: What hinders effective leadership? A. Lack of credibility will destroy a persons ability to be an effective leader. When the teams trust is broken, the leader will have to work extremely hard to return to their position. Inflexibility can destroy the leaderà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s relationship with the team. There needs to be a consistent flow of new ideas, leaders must take advantage of opportunities, and explore ways to invoke continuous transformation. B. A leader who cannot communicate effectively will fail in their role. Without communication, leadership does not exist. A leader can have great ideas but unless they are shared within the organization then they are just thoughts. Leadership is also destroyed by a negative attitude and isolation. Personal Reflection Synopsis of Interviews Question 1: What is your definition of leadership? The individuals were aware of how leadership impacted their organizations. Each used leadership as a motivating factor in providing guidance to their respective employees. Question 2: What is your viewpoint on leadership? Leaders need to posses an authentic reflection about their personal leadership approach. To effectively share their leadership viewpoint they need to share their vision and communicate this with employees so that the philosophy fundamentals permeate within the organization. Both interviews discuss the priority of teamwork and the importance of reflection or self actualization. Question 3: What is your leadership style? Leaders with a transformational style emphasis vision, flexibility, and adaptability. Leaders operate at different levels of the organization which reflects on their leadership style and organizational perspective. Question 4: What are the strengths of your leadership style? Structure and consideration are two approaches that measure strengths in specific leadership styles. Leaders are concerned about the needs of their employees. They assist employees with problems and provide guidance. Question 5: What hinders effective leadership? Leaders need to have traits that are respected like trust and credibility. They also need to be positive, communicative, and flexible so that they are open to new ideas. Leadership and Self Assessment à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Peer Focused In my initial personal assessment on leadership style and potential, I assessed myself with three peer co-workers. Their feedback was somewhat inline with my own personal self reflection with my leadership abilities. Some of the feedback that I received was that I tend to be more of a manager than a leader in my current position. As a manager I spend a lot of time focusing on planning and resource allocations for specific projects, thus more transactional. To further develop my leadership I need to take a step back and look at creating a compelling vision for the future, utilize my influence in the organization, and developing strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision (more transformational). In my peer discussions on leadership delivery, I tend to use a more autocratic style. What I need to strive for is a more democratic style where I delegate responsibility to others, and encourage more group participation so that I can push my influence down further within the employee ranks. Reflecting on my leadership style it is important to recognize that a universal leadership style cannot be used with all employees. A leader must look at the specific relationship between a leader and each individual employee. I recognized that a leader with a single/universally applied leadership style is inefficient and unsuccessful. In Robbins and Judge the authors allude to many situations where a combination of theories would be the preferred leadership style. For example transactional and transformational worked best when they were combined as a leadership approach. A leader is far more effective if they are a flexible leader who has the capability to use different approaches with each employee depending on different conditions. A good leader helps employees understand the larger perspective in which they are operating within the organization. The relationship the leader has with employees will determine how effective the leader will become in influencing organizational transfo rmation.

Caribbean Slavery Essay

Slaves were people captured in war, used to settle a debt, or made slaves as a means of punishment. The Spaniards in the Caribbean had little need for African slaves in the early 1500s for various reasons. The Treaty of Tordesillas, which was a line of demarcation drawn north to south, west of the Azores and Cape Verde’s, stipulated that the areas west of the line belonged to the Spaniards and the east to the Portuguese. As a result of the treaty Africa was on Portugal’s side of the line, so in order for Spaniards to obtain African slaves they had to go through the Portuguese. During the period of the early 1500s the Treaty of Tordesillas resulted in the Portuguese being the first nation that the Spaniards granted an asiento. This was granted in 1515. These special licenses, asientos, only allowed a specific number of slaves into a diverse number of countries and limited the need for African slaves. The cost to ship slaves from West Africa to Portugal and Spain and then to the Americas proved prohibitive. There was easier access to Taino labour and it was unnecessary to spend extra money on importing slaves. Tainos were used to find and mine the gold because they were familiar with the surroundings and there were enough Tainos to mine the little gold the Spaniards had found. Indentured servants or white servants also contributed to the need for only a small number of African slaves in the 1500s. Indentured servants (contracted workers; poor people from Europe) started to migrate to the Caribbean from Europe, as the Caribbean were advertised as having prospects of a new life and jobs. Their contracts usually lasted four to five years. The islands that were found in the Caribbean needed to be developed in order to make them suitable for living. The Spaniards offered property as an incentive to attract people who would develop the islands and settle there. This was how indentured servants were coaxed into migrating. Eventually however, the Amerindians and white servants were no longer a sufficient labour force. B. The Amerindians were not used to the working conditions and thus died. Also, Old World diseases such as measles, diphtheria, typhus, cholera, scarlet fever, chicken pox, yellow fever, whooping cough, smallpox, influenza and gonorrhea affected them while some died from depression. Indentured servants were unskilled in cultivation and unwilling to work. They were unaccustomed to the conditions of the Caribbean and succumbed to various New World diseases such as syphilis and yellow fever. Africans worked harder, survived the conditions of the Caribbean better (similar conditions existed in Africa), knew how to plant tropical plants, and were more resistant to Old World diseases. They were also less costly than indentured servants and there was a more constant supply of African slaves than indentured servants. The trade winds which blew from east to west made coming to the Caribbean from Africa very easy. That is in comparison to traveling from Europe to the Caribbean which was difficult as the trade winds worked against sailing ships. Also ships had a longer distance to cover when they sailed to the Caribbean from Europe. African slaves were their master’s property. Masters could do whatever they pleased with the African slaves as they paid for them and they were their property. Offspring produced by said slaves was also their master’s property. This added to the reliability of African slaves as there would always be another generation to enslave. Indentured servants could easily escape as they had the same appearances, knew the culture and language and therefore could easily blend into the crowd and disappear with the influx of people coming and leaving the Caribbean islands. Africans could not do this because of their colour and it would be difficult for them to escape. This added to the appeal of using African slaves. Plantation owners became greedy and no longer wanted to give or offer their sugar lands so as to attract indentured servants to come to the Caribbean. The plantation owners saw the Africans as a commodity therefore did not have to give any incentive to attract them because they were their property and enslaved to them. For these reasons the Africans were seen as a perfect source of labour. Increased work resulted in increased productivity, which increased the wealth of the Spaniards. C. By the 1600s and 1700s African slaves became more popular in the Caribbean. Amerindians had died out by the 1500’s due to diseases, overwork and ill-treatment. Indentured servants had lost fervour in coming to the Caribbean as it was costly to travel and the chances of surviving the tropical conditions were slim. Some ran away, breaking their contract, to become Buccaneers. The decline in the number of available indentured servants and Tainos, and the growth of the colonies increased the need for labour. Sugar had become very popular and was in demand on the European market. The wealth that sugar brought was recognized and more land as cultivated for sugar production. The sugar revolution had begun and the Dutch saw an opportunity to sell slaves in the Caribbean as there was a rise in labour needs. The Dutch were granted an asiento in 1667, by this time Dutch trading in African slaves became very popular. Additionally, slaves were severely abused and thus many died. The rapid demise of slaves from the harsh conditions resulted in a constant need and t his also added to the â€Å"great extension of African slavery in the rest of the Caribbean in the 1600s and 1700s†.

The Religious Themes Of The Epic Of Beowulf - 1485 Words

In Beowulf, two types of religion are portrayed by one unknown author, and play an important role in the interpretation of the epic poem. Paganism is one of the religions that are portrayed in the epic, and it is speculated that before it was written and recorded that the work was actually focused around a Pagan belief system before the Christian coloring and allusions were added. Christianity is the second religion being portrayed in this Epic Poem. It is theorized that a monk was the one that added the Christian themes to the work as he was recording it. Monks were famous for being scribes and recording different works in their solemn monasteries. These are only theories, and this paper will discuss both of the religious themes and the impacts they both contribute to this amazing piece of literature. Beowulf has its religious roots in paganism and that is quite evident being that the tale is revolved around the Geats and the Danes. The epic was speculated to have been written around either the 600s or 700s for the fact that they depict historical figures deaths. The Geats and Danes were largely Pagan tribes that believed in multiple gods, and that fate and honor controlled the outcome of their immortality. In 1066 A.D. when William the Conqueror took control of the British Isles he brought with him Christianity. After the invasion a single tattered manuscript of the Epic has survived. That is when it was theorized that the monks took the piece it colored it with theShow MoreRelatedBeowulf: Themes1038 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf: Themes The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel s mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elementsRead MoreThe Great Flood Of Gilgamesh, The Canterbury Tales, And Hamlet1311 Words   |  6 Pages A theme is the underlying message or overall meaning of a story. Authors use this literary device in stories to convey a critical belief about life. A theme of a book is usually seen as a universal in nature because when a theme is universal, it touches on human experience. Sometimes there are multiple themes to a story and they may or may not be stated directly. Religion is a theme found throughout the stories of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Hamlet. The theme of religion isRead MoreEssay on Beowulf study guide1576 Words   |  7 Pages1) Describe how we find King Hrothgar and his response to learning that Beowulf has come to his kingdom. A. The king is sad and depressed that his kingdom has fallen into such a state of disrepair. He is overjoyed to learn that Beowulf, whom he knows from stories and his father, Ecgtheow, has come to fight Grendel. Hrothgar promises Beowulf treasure if he can defeat the monster. 2) In the beginning of â€Å"Beowulf,† King Hrothgar’s hall has been deserted for twelve years. In a short essay, tell whyRead MoreEssay on Good vs Evil in Beowulf1568 Words   |  7 PagesIn Beowulf, the clash between good and evil is the poems main and most significant focal point. Although the epic poem Beowulf utilizes many characteristics of Christian themes, the violence in the poem relates to paganism. By exploring the characteristics of â€Å"good vs. evil† such as Cain, Grendel and Beowulf, this paper will explore the elements of Beowulf in such a light. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was originally told orally then later was written down anonymously in the Old English languageRead MoreFree Will And Religion : An Epic Hero1478 Words   |  6 Pagescase in the epic poem, Beowulf. The story’s protagonist must endure many trials throughout his journey as an epic hero, defeating his opponent each time. However, Beowulf believes it is not his own strength, but the will of God that he is able to become victorious. As his journey through life continues, from warrior to king, fatalism is present time and time again in all his actions. In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, the theme of fate dictates the outcome of each battle Beowulf must overcomeRead MoreEssay on Christian and Pagan Ideals in Beowulf1343 Words   |  6 Pagesand past events. Written down in approximately 1,000 A.D. by an unknown author, Beowulf, originally a pagan fable, became a Christian allegory upon its transcription by Christian monks. However, as s cholars have debated over the religious context in Beowulf, the attempts by the monks to turn the epic poem into a Christian parable ended merged, including both original and Christian aspects. Throughout Beowulf, the epic combines pagan ideals of fate or wyrd and the will of God, the similar conceptsRead MoreEssay about Christian And Pagan Ideals In Beowulf1335 Words   |  6 Pagesand past events. Written down in approximately 1,000 A.D. by an unknown author, Beowulf, originally a pagan fable, became a Christian allegory upon its transcription by Christian monks. However, as scholars have debated over the religious context in Beowulf, the attempts by the monks to turn the epic poem into a Christian parable ended merged, including both original and Christian aspects. Throughout Beowulf, the epic combines pagan ideals of fate or wyrd and the will of God, the similar conceptsRead MoreThe Anglo Saxon Era Of Rich History And Reflected Literature1486 Words   |  6 PagesSaxon Era of Rich History and Reflected Literature The Anglo Saxon Period began in 449 and ended in 1066 AD. This was a time of Viking conquering other nations, patriotism, and Pagan to Christian religious conversion. There are only few recorded authors of this era as a result of literary works such as Beowulf, Wife’s Lament, and The Seafarer being passed down orally through generations of time. The literature serves as a reflection of this ancient time rather than having an impact on this time periodRead MoreThe Importance Of Heroism In Beowulf1073 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf is a classic, epic story which theme focuses on good versus evil, â€Å"Beowulf is essentially a heathen poem† (Bodek) said F.A Blackburn because it consists of elements drawn from Anglo-Saxons culture before they were converted to Christians. It is tidily divided into three parts; The battle with Grendel, The battle with Grendel’s mother and the battle with the Dragon. The poem deals with Germanic forebears, the Danes, the Geats and the Swedes. This story features a super-strong warrior BeowulfRead MoreEssay about Pagan Aspects in Beowulf1573 Words   |  7 Pages Scholars have argued about the religious stance of the epic poem Beowulf for centuries. Although the man who put the poem down on paper, known as the Beowulf poet, was a devout Christian, the actual poem itself is pagan. There are many clues in the epic that lead us to this conclusion such as the numerous references to pagan symbols, namely the symbol of fate. Also, the central idea of revenge in the poem opposes the ideas of Christianity. The poem also contains many breaches of the Ten

Graduation Speech A College Student - 1360 Words

After living at Syracuse University for the first semester I have done things both inside and outside of my comfort zone as I have adjusted to life as a college student. I used to cheerlead throughout high school for both the basketball and football seasons, so attending my first football game in the Dome was something I easily crossed off my checklist within the first week of being a college student. From freshman year to senior year of high school, I had attended every single football and basketball game, whether I wanted to be there or not. As a member of the varsity cheer team, at every single game I cheered on my school and learned the basics of each sport. The second I received my acceptance letter in the mail, I asked my parents to purchase me the season tickets for all of the Syracuse football and basketball games. Although I do not necessarily love all sports, the idea of going to every football and basketball game was a goal of mine to show my school pride and get the full experience of college. One of my requirements when searching for the right college for me was a lot of school spirit and sports, along with educational requirements, all of which Syracuse fulfilled. I had been talking to my dad about the first football game the car ride here on move in day and he tried to explain to me what the atmosphere of the Dome was actually like. On Friday September 2nd I attended my first home football game as a college student against Colgate and got to experience theShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech : College Students1272 Words   |  6 PagesCollege, whether community, private, public, or vocational, encourages a creativity and belief within students, offering the explanation that their futures increase ten-fold just by having a degree. It proves the ability to learn and connect concepts and to think critically and efficiently, skills highly useful in their careers and endeavors. It instills within students, the truth about the world around them and h ow interactions with staff and peers will guide them for their future encountersRead MoreGraduation Speech : College Students974 Words   |  4 PagesCollege students have two choices when it comes to spring break, either go home or to go on a wild vacation with their friends. I recently had to make a similar choice between going to Destin, Florida, which includes partying with my friends or going home to Chicago, Illinois to rest. In order to make a decision it was best to compare and contrast my two choices. There are few things in common that both options offered. Brinda Patel of The List offers a few of these. First, I will not be in classRead MoreGraduation Speech : College Students Essay1542 Words   |  7 PagesTO COLLEGE Entering college introduces students to several challenges that go further than high school academics. First- year students are to understand a new social environment they are in, try and fit in with other at the new institution, adapt to new things and responsibilities, comprehend the distance from hometown friends and family, involve yourself in the career of your choice (Credà ©, Niehorster 2011). Students struggle with the transition from high school to college. Many students do notRead MoreGraduation Speech : College Students913 Words   |  4 Pagesup I had been told that college would be this amazing adventure that I would partake in and my one job was to make sure that I got in and did my homework. I came to a quick conclusion that college life is not as glamorous as I have heard from different people. When I realized that I was going to be a student, I had no idea that there were so many different components that went into it. Being a student in college is not as easy as it was in high school. As a college student there are more responsibilitiesRead MoreGraduation Speech : A College Student927 Words   |  4 PagesOn August 17, 2015, I was officially a college student, but what does this mean? Well, it means that I will be furthering my education in my desired field of study, I am an adult, and I have to start making decisions for myself, etc. As a freshman at Grace College, I am extremely excited to be taking that next step, and majoring in Journalism. Although I am content with the idea of being in college and adventuring off through my own path, I am also very nervous and unsure if I am ready to takeRead MoreGraduation Speech : College Students1999 Words   |  8 Pageschanges in the students’ lifestyles, and consequently, college students’ consumption needs may change (Lee, M., Mathur., 2001). Graduation is the first momentous event that ever happened to college students. Every enrolled college students will face the role tra nsitions process, which is from a student to an employee, during the graduation period. In other words, job hunting and starting a new career serve as part of the students’ life events. Due to this reason, college students’ shopping adaptationsRead MoreGraduation Speech : College Students1280 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the 2015 National College Health Assessment, over 85% of college students have felt stressed or overwhelmed in the last year. As an undergraduate, I am fully aware of the pressure we, as students, feel. We are a machines, constantly trying to balance studying, our classes, working, having a social life, and preparing for our future. And we are still expected to get eight hours of sleep every night? I know first hand how this feels. I wake up early every morning, go to class, spend countlessRead MoreGraduation Speech : Becoming A College Student862 Words   |  4 Pagesmy college courses. That’s part of life trying, to figure out what†™s right and what’s wrong, trying to figure out how to deal with emotions. From the past semesters I have had so many stressful moments to the point where I sometimes felt like giving up, but with the support of my family boosting up my self-esteem helped me make it through my freshman year of college. Life is like a rollercoaster you experience many ups and downs but in the end it’s worth the ride. Becoming a college student hasRead MoreGraduation Speech : Becoming A College Student887 Words   |  4 Pagesshare my achievements with my parents they always expected more. As a college student, I have been on the dean’s list for every semester and quarter that I have been enrolled in. Even with the high expectations, that I have set for myself, they often seem to still not be adequate, which leads me to want to endeavor even harder. The same high expectations and not being enough happened again when I made a 3.5 my first semester of college and my mom responded with that I should’ve made a 4.0. This conversationRead MoreGraduation Speech : Becoming A Successful College Student Essay936 Words   |  4 PagesChrystelle Pierre-Fils Ms. Milliner EES21QH.05 09/26/16 When an individual hears the word â€Å"college,† the first thing that comes to mind is, â€Å"stress†. In reality, college doesn’t always get a negative response when speaking to those who have finished college. College could influence an individual to go and it can also influence an individual to not go to college. As a highschooler, I do not know much about college. However, from interviewing others and doing some research, the sources gave me a synopsis